Warsaw by train

Lounging at the Deutsche Bahn lounge

I just got back yesterday from a weekend in Warsaw, celebrating the housewarming of A&K, our Polish friends we met in Dublin. It was very exotic to travel abroad by train, not by frickin' Ryanair! The fastest connection between Berlin and Warsaw is just over 5,5 hours, but you also don't have to queue at the check in desk, the security control or the boarding gates. Train stations also tend to be in the city centres, so no need for extra transport! Two thumbs up! It did get a little boring to sit in the train for so long, but at least you can walk around and sleep easier than on a bus or an airplane. Our train tickets cost €196, and we availed of a special offer to travel first class. Second class was on special for €156. I think the difference between first and second class was that there was six seats in our cabin, eight in second class. Also a food cart kept patrolling the isles in first class. The most genuine first class experience was at Berlin Hauptbanhof before the train took off: we got to hang out in the Deutsche Bahn lounge, drink free beverages and take magazines with us for the train. Or maybe we weren't supposed to take them, but we did :P

Upon arrival in Warsaw it was a slight shock to be surrounded by a language that you have no chance of understanding. At the central train station there were no signs in English, not even for the exits! Luckily our friend K collected us and walked us out to the right tram.


Warsaw is not a very pretty city. Mostly it looks like the eastern suburbs of Berlin. It's not the fault of the Polish, it was the Soviets who re-built the city from the ruins of the second world war. And in fairness, most cities are ugly in November. As an exception the Old City of Warsaw was a surprise to us; it is pretty and full of atmosphere – definitively the "must-see" of Warsaw.

The goal of our trip was to catch up with our friends. On Friday we went to a few bars in the city centre and on Saturday was the big housewarming. Many people we know from our time in Dublin were there for the party, and it was a really good night. I had forgotten the Polish tradition of drinking vodka shots at every turn, and it turned very loud and rowdy. The Polish honey vodka is deceivingly delicious... I'm glad we didn't have to face the neighbours!

Poster at the new Warsaw Rising Museum

Pirogi – Polish dumplings stuffed with mushroom and cabbage